An ANet dev You are not allowed to view links.
Register or Login that the next balance patch should be dropping on Tues 6th Feb if all goes to plan.

Quote from: Karl McLain.5604

We are planning PvP/WvW splits, changes to the Confusion condition, regeneration effectiveness prioritization, boon/condition conversion table changes... PLUS MORE!! There are some mesmer changes we're excited about and hope to talk them about in more detail as we draw nearer to the update. Stay tuned!

Update 1st Feb:

Quote from: Gaile Gray.6029

A message from Robert Gee, Guild Wars 2 Systems Team:

Today I wanted to give you all a heads up on some important changes coming to the mesmer profession in the coming update. These changes affect phantasms, which are a core part of the mesmer profession mechanic (illusions) and as a result, will have a large effect on how the mesmer profession plays after the update.

In one sentence, these changes can be summed up as, "Phantasms become clones after their initial attack."

Here are the specific details of how it works:

Phantasms no longer will persist indefinitely. Instead, a phantasm will attack once and then automatically be destroyed. If interrupted during its attack the phantasm also will be destroyed.

Phantasms still can be targeted by skills and take damage while alive. Phantasms can be destroyed by damaging skills before they finish their attack.

A destroyed phantasm will be replaced with a clone based on your current weapon set. This clone will spawn regardless of how the phantasm was destroyed. The clone is spawned at the location of the phantasm at the time it was destroyed.

This is a pretty large gameplay shift so I wanted to talk a little bit about why we are doing this and what it means for your mesmer gameplay.

The Illusion of ChoiceMesmers always have had a tension between clones and phantasms; this tension was designed into the profession when the game launched. The idea was that shattering clones would be good for burst damage while leaving phantasms active would be an option for sustained damage. Choosing whether or not to shatter was intended to be one of the core decision points for those playing mesmer.

However we've discovered as the game has developed and evolved that providing this tension usually ends up removing the incentive to use the profession's core mechanic and leads to more passive gameplay. This can be seen in a lot of "optimized" builds for mesmers involving summoning three phantasms and then auto-attacking for extended periods of time in order to avoid destroying the phantasms by using another illusion skill.

Mirrored GameplayIn the past, we've made some corrections to professions with this type gameplay as seen with the changes to the warrior's Adrenal Health and Berserker's Power traits, which previously rewarded saving adrenaline over spending it. Phantasms are a mechanic entirely based on discouraging the use of shatter skills and as a result, correcting this has touched a larger number of skills and traits than it did for warrior. However our primary goal with these changes is the same: to create a more active profession gameplay loop that rewards spending profession resources over saving them. For mesmer this means play patterns which revolve around generating and shattering clones while phantasms can be summoned for utility, bursts of damage, or some combination of the two.

Power ReturnBecause the power level of phantasm skills and traits usually assume that the phantasm will not be destroyed immediately, we have done an extensive balance pass on all skills and traits related to phantasms as well as several related traits and skills. We've also taken this opportunity to re-evaluate some of the under-performing phantasms to rework them into more impactful skills. For example, the Phantasmal Defender skill now taunts foes instead of buffing allies and the Phantasmal Warlock skill summons two phantasms, each with a new attack.

Phantasmal FeedbackWhile we're committed to making this change to phantasms as we feel it will improve the gameplay health of the mesmer profession, we also recognize that there will be an adjustment period where players will need to adapt to these changes. This is one of the largest changes we've undertaken for a single profession short of creating new specializations, and we realize that it may be jarring to some players. We'll be You are not allowed to view links.
Register or Login after these changes go live and make adjustments where necessary.

P.S. I'm sure that at least a few of you are wondering what this phantasm change means for Chronomancers in raids because the phantasmal avenger is a key component of keeping up alacrity for the party.

Quote from: Gaile Gray.6029

A message from Robert Gee, Guild Wars 2 Systems Team

With the changes to phantasms coming soon, I'm sure many players are wondering what this means for alacrity since phantasms are one of the key contributors of this buff in the current game. I wanted to take a minute to talk about alacrity and where things are headed in the next update.

A Lack of AlacrityWhen we first started making changes to phantasms, we quickly realized that the new system would have a huge impact on alacrity uptime for chronomancers due to the changes to Phantasmal Avenger. We were actually okay with this since the whole point of the phantasm update is to make mesmer play more engaging. However, we didn't want to leave a huge gap in the duration of alacrity uptime for chronomancers. At first, we tried increasing the amount of alacrity provided by the avengers to compensate for the lower uptime, but we weren't very happy with this solution. The amount of alacrity uptime had to be pretty high to compensate for the limited uptime of the phantasm, and the change still meant that the alacrity application relied on an NPC entity. Moving some alacrity onto the other shield skill, Tides of Time, helped a little, but it wasn't quite enough, either.

Boon of RechargeAfter some discussion, we decided that in addition to replacing quickness with alacrity on Tides of Time, we also would change alacrity into a boon. Originally, alacrity was built outside of the boon and condition system in order to make it feel like a unique buff. But as its use became more prevalent—to the point that it now enjoys nearly 100% uptime in certain game modes—we felt that the boon system was a better place for it to live. By being a part of the boon system it works better with the concentration stat, and it also has more counters and interactions throughout the game.

Time DistortionWith the conversion to a boon, we decided to lower the amount of recharge speed alacrity provides from 33% to 25%. We chose to lower this value because at 33% we felt it was a little too powerful compared to other boons and that easier uptime (due to interactions with traits and the concentration stat) should be met with a small decrease in power. For those who prefer alacrity with a bit more punch, we've updated the Chronomancer trait "Improved Alacrity" which now increases the potency of alacrity while decreasing the duration of incoming alacrity for the chronomancer only.

Clocking in SoonAs with phantasms, we also have done a pass on skills and traits that grant or interact with alacrity. You'll find alacrity in some unexpected places, such as the Thief's stolen bundle "Consume Plasma," and on the condition conversion list for skills like "Contemplation of Purity." We expect that there will be an adjustment period, but we think that these changes will be positive overall for alacrity use throughout the game while allowing chronomancers to maintain their current levels of alacrity uptime in a group.

Anomaly fragment enemies during the Ley-Line Anomaly events are now easier to stun when Counter Magic is used against them.

Bandit leaders across Kryta have found their health further reduced as their supply lines remain in disarray.

Responding to local demand for pet-care supplies, a new vendor has set up shop in Rata Sum to provide shoppers with fun and safe toys to entertain their cats. Further responding to local demand to “get these infuriating felines out of my lab,” harmless and scientific equipment for shooing cats away is also provided.

Text has been standardized on food and utility tooltips.

Added two new options to the Sound Options panel that will allow you to determine how items with unique sound effects play back on your game client. The four options are listed below and can be independently specified for both your items and other players’ items:

All: All unique item sound effects will play back without restrictions (as they have traditionally).

Limited: Unique item sounds will have a chance to play but will usually fall back to default sound effects.

Mute Projectiles Only: Unique item sounds originating from projectile attacks (such as Quip and the Dreamer) will be muted, and all others will play normally.

Off: Unique item sound effects will be completely disabled, and default sound effects will play in their place.

Fixed some issues in which only the left modifier keys (Shift, Alt, Control, etc.) were considered for various UI interactions.

FractalsShattered Observatory

Fixed a bug in which green circles would not display properly for the final boss.

Fixed the attack timing for the final boss’s Solar Blast.

Aegis will no longer block the first beam attack in the final boss fight.

Fixed a bug that could cause the platforms to sometimes not disappear in the final boss fight.

Solar Blooms have had their aggro range increased so that they will always follow their target.

Solar Blooms will now bounce off the edges of the final boss platform instead of getting stuck.

Solar Blooms’ attack telegraph time has been increased by 0.25 seconds.

For lower tiers, various mechanics for the final boss have had their damage toned down so that the difficulty curve is more similar to other bosses.

The Skorvald and Viirastra bosses now provide a daily reward chest.

Increased the size of the hit box of the final boss.

General:

Fixed a bug in which players might create a new fractal instance instead of joining their existing party when using the Lion’s Arch or Mistlock Sanctuary fractal portals.

Fixed a bug in which celestial infusion effects displayed the wrong color on charr.

Runes of Balthazar: Fixed a bug that would not allow this rune’s sixth piece to fire while underwater or in air.

Profession SkillsWith Path of Fire™ on the horizon, we’ll soon be adding nine new elite specializations with nine new trait lines to the game. Along with these new additions, we are also taking some time to do a pass on the older trait lines in order to update them for the current state of the game. There has been a general pass on wording for traits to better clarify what they do, as well as several functionality changes across all core profession traits and some Heart of Thorns™ elite specialization traits. These changes are aimed at improving the synergy of these old traits with the lines they live in as well as across other lines.General:

Ammunition System: The ammunition (ammo) system has been added to the game. Several skills across multiple professions now use ammo for their skills. Ammo skills have a stock (count) of uses that can regenerate over time. Each ammo skill has a short recharge between uses that varies per skill. New skill facts for ammo count and Count Recharge have been added. Count Recharge and recharge between uses are affected by recharge-reduction skills and traits.

Light Aura: This skill no longer applies a single stack of vulnerability to someone striking you. It now reduces incoming Condition Damage by 10% in addition to granting retaliation when struck.

Area Weakness: Fixed a bug in which executing a blast finisher in a poison combo field would sometimes mistakenly apply 3 seconds of weakness instead of the intended 5 seconds.

A new icon for the Explosion skill fact has been added.

A new icon for the Pierces skill fact has been added.

Key words relating to profession mechanics and skill types have been standardized and highlighted across all professions.

Charrzooka: This skill is now equipped for a 15-second duration instead of expiring after using a set number of attacks.

Become the Raven:

Swoop: The distance this skill travels is no longer affected by movement-speed modifiers.

Become the Wolf:

Leap: The distance this skill travels is no longer affected by movement-speed modifiers.

Become the Snow Leopard:

Pounce: The distance this skill travels is no longer affected by movement-speed modifiers.

ElementalistIn this balance update, the elementalist is seeing some cleanup of a few elemental minions and a change in the way their Conjure utility skills behave. We’ve reworked different aspects of these weapons and removed the prohibitive charge system with the intention of promoting holding on to the weapons and using all of their skills. Several traits have seen augmentations, with Arcane Resurrection now allowing Geyser (in all of its formats) to revive downed allies instead of applying a flat revive percentage. And finally, we’re looking to normalize damage for the elementalist so that it is not effectively the best-in-slot for damage, support, and survivability in all scenarios. To this end, we are modifying the functionality for a few skills that unintentionally overperform against large hit-box targets, in addition to a select few damage reductions.Profession:

Overload Fire: The physical damage has been reduced by 10% in PvE only.

Overload Air: The total number of attacks has been reduced from 17 to 14.

Weapon Skills:

Lightning Surge: The cast time has been reduced by 0.4 seconds.

Geyser: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use the higher-value Healing Power multiplier in all game modes. Base healing value has been reduced by 33%. Number of pulses has been increased from 3 to 5.

Phoenix: Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to hit more frequently than intended.

Wildfire: This skill can now only damage an enemy once per second. Burning duration has been increased from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds.

Burning Speed: This skill can now only damage an enemy once per second. Fire-wall damage has been increased by 100%, and burning duration has been increased from 1.5 seconds to 2 seconds per tick.

Burning Retreat: This skill can now only damage an enemy once per second. Damage has been increased by 100%, and burning duration has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds per tick.

Flamewall: The damage of this skill has been increased by 100%.

Utility Skills:

Greater Air Elemental:

Shocking Bolt: Recharge has been reduced from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.

Air Elemental:

Lightning Strikes: This skill now fires projectiles directly at the target rather than in an area around the target.

Water Elemental:

Frozen Ground: The cast time has been reduced by 1 second. Chill duration has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds.

Crashing Waves: The cast time of the initial portion of this skill has been reduced by 1.6 seconds. The number of targets knocked back has been increased from 1 to 3. The healing attribute multiplier has been increased by 300%.

Fire Elemental:

Flame Barrage: Burning duration has been increased from 1 second to 3 seconds per missile hit. Recharge has been reduced from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.

Arcane Blast: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 3, with a 20-second count recharge. There is a 1-second recharge between each use.

Arcane Wave: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 2, with a 30-second count recharge. There is a 2-second recharge between each use.

Conjure Weapons: Conjured weapons no longer expire after a set number of skill activations but instead last for a flat duration of 30 seconds.

Conjure Lightning Hammer:

Lightning Leap: This skill now grants 3 seconds of quickness if it hits. The cooldown of this skill has been increased from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.

Wind Blast: This skill now grants 3 seconds of superspeed if it hits.

Lightning Storm: This skill has been partially reworked. Lightning bolts will occur over a longer duration, with 50% of the bolts guaranteed to attack a target within the radius. The final attack delivered by the storm guarantees attacks on up to five targets. The number of attacks has been increased from 10 to 12.

Conjure Frost Bow:

Water Arrow: This skill now grants a stacking enhancement to the user when striking a target. This enhancement increases outgoing healing by 10% per stack and stacks up to two times. In addition, stacks of Water Arrow modify other Conjure Frost Bow skills in different ways. Base healing has been increased by 10%. The aftercast has been slightly reduced.

Frost Volley: This skill now gains 10% bonus damage per stack of Water Arrow. Cast time has been reduced by approximately 0.5 seconds. The recharge has been increased from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.

Frost Fan: This skill now fires one additional projectile per stack of Water Arrow.

Ice Storm: This skill now fires one additional attack per stack of Water Arrow.

Deep Freeze: This skill now freezes for 0.5 additional seconds per stack of Water Arrow.

Conjure Flame Axe: This conjure weapon now enhances the autoattack by unlocking Double Lava Axe when any other skill on the conjure weapon is used.

Double Lava Axe: Throw two lava axes in quick succession.

Burning Retreat: This skill can now only damage an enemy once per second. The damage of this skill has been increased by 100%. Burning duration has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. Fixed a bug that caused this skill to not apply burning in some situations.

Conjure Fiery Greatsword: Wielding this weapon while in combat will now create Fiery Eruptions on random enemies within a range of 600 every 3 seconds.

Fiery Rush: This skill is now able to hit an enemy only once per second. The damage of the wall portion has been increased by 100%.

“Feel the Burn!”: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to hit more than 5 targets.

Arcane Resurrection: This trait no longer grants an increased revive rate but instead changes the functionality of the Geyser skill, causing it to revive allies in its radius by 7% per tick in addition to healing. This trait now casts Geyser on the elementalist when they begin reviving an ally.

Elemental Enchantment: This trait no longer grants boon duration; it now grants up to 180 Concentration at level 80.

Conjurer: This trait no longer increases charge count for conjured weapons but instead reduces the recharge for conjured weapon skills that the elementalist uses. Fire-aura functionality remains the same.

Arcane Abatement: In addition to its previous effects, this trait now heals you a small amount whenever you swap attunements.

Imbued Melodies: This trait no longer grants boon duration; it now grants Concentration.

One with Fire: Elementalist skills that grant fire aura have been updated to indicate the correct duration when this trait is equipped.

EngineerIn this update, we’re making major changes to the Explosives and Tools trait lines as well as some changes to the Gadget skill type. Explosions traits have been reorganized and reworked to better support a larger variety of builds. While we expect any build that takes the Explosives line to have at least some explosive skills, the line was disproportionately weighted to favor bombs and grenades to the exclusion of other Power-damage options. We want this line to have a few viable options for builds that don’t go all-in on these kits while still having an explosive theme where appropriate. The traits Siege Rounds, Thermobaric Detonation, and Explosive Powder have been removed, and the Shaped Charge trait has been moved to the Grandmaster minor slot due to its passive functionality. Several new traits have been added to replace the lost traits, and some adjustments have been made to enhancement skills that suffered a loss of effectiveness due to the removal of these traits. The Tools line was suffering from poor options at its Grandmaster tier, so we’ve reworked Kinetic Battery and Gadgeteer to smooth out their gameplay patterns.Utility Skills:

Weapon Kits and Device Kits are now referred to as Engineering Kits to reflect that their classifications are functionally the same.

Removed the delay on gyro skills before they can be detonated.

Turret Detonate Skills: Fixed a bug that caused these skills to count as toolbelt skills for the purposes of traits.

Alchemical Tinctures: This trait no longer grants boon duration; it now grants up to 240 Concentration at level 80.

Explosive Powder: This trait has been removed from the game. It has been replaced by Shaped Charge. Some explosion skills have had their damage increased to compensate.

Throw Mine: Increased damage by 20%.

Booby Trap: Increased damage by 10%.

Rocket Turret Overcharge: Increased damage by 10%.

Shrapnel Grenade: Increased damage by 14%.

Big Ol’ Bomb: Increased damage by 10%.

Fire Bomb: Increased damage by 14%.

Grenade Barrage: Increased damage by 20%.

Bunker Down: Increased damage by 10%.

Shaped Charge: This trait has been moved to the Grandmaster minor slot. It has been replaced with Big Boomer.

Evasive Powder Keg: Removed internal cooldown.

Big Boomer: This trait replaces the slot left open by Shaped Charge. It converts 5% of Power to Vitality and 5% of Power to Ferocity.

Thermobaric Detonation: This trait has been removed. It has been replaced with Minesweeper.

Minesweeper: This trait upgrades Evasive Powder Keg to drop a series of mines along the dodge path instead of a single bomb.

Siege Rounds: This trait has been removed. It has been replaced with Orbital Command. The duration of fields created by Mortar Kit skills has been increased to compensate.

Orbital Command: This trait invokes an orbital strike when striking a foe below 50% health and has a 15-second recharge.

Reactive Lenses: This now uses the traited version of Utility Goggles when Gadgeteer is equipped.

Lock On: Added functionality. This trait will now also analyze foes that you disable. Disable analyze and stealth analyze are two separate skills with individual recharges.

Excessive Energy: This trait now grants its bonus damage when you are not at full endurance.

Kinetic Battery: This trait has been reworked. It now generates kinetic charges whenever a toolbelt skill is used. At 5 charges, gain quickness and superspeed for 5 seconds. Charges can only be generated while in combat but do not expire until 5 stacks is reached or the trait is unequipped.

Gadgeteer: This trait has been reworked. It no longer requires static charges and always enhances your gadgets as long as it is equipped. Gadget recharge bonus has been reduced to 20%. Fixed a bug that prevented enhanced skills from displaying their bonuses properly in the trait preview. Specific gadget enhancements have been adjusted as follows:

A.E.D.: When fatal damage is prevented, this skill now grants shocking aura in addition to its previous effects.

Throw Mine: Increased radius has been removed. This now causes you to drop a second mine at your location when cast.

Utility Goggles: Increased might gain from 3 stacks to 5 stacks.

Slick Shoes: This skill now inflicts cripple when it knocks down foes, in addition to its previous effects.

Rocket Boots: This skill now grants superspeed after landing, in addition to its previous effects.

Personal Battering Ram: This skill is now considered an explosion and inflicts burning, in addition to its previous effects.

GuardianThe addition of the ammo system also allows us to rework some old skill types. In this case, something we’ve long wanted to do—Spirit Weapons. These skills now immediately summon a weapon that performs a single, powerful skill and then vanishes. We also revisited some of the older skills and traits that have gone largely untouched in recent years to update them on the back end and smooth out some of their functionality. One example of this is Zealot’s Flame, which felt somewhat random in its burn application, so we’ve smoothed out the burning around you to pulse every second. In this update, we’ve also seized the opportunity to review a couple of trait lines, adjusting and reworking the Zeal and Radiance specializations.Weapon Skills:

Zealot’s Flame: Reduced burning duration from 6 seconds to 3 seconds. Rather than burning once every 3 seconds after the initial cast, it now burns every second as long as the enhancement persists. Fixed a bug that could prevent the application of burning to nearby enemies after the initial cast.

Faithful Strike: The Healing Power contribution for this skill has been unsplit from PvP and will use the 100% increase in all game types.

Zealot’s Defense: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to continue blocking even if the skill was canceled.

Wave of Wrath: Reduced the range from 600 to 300. Increased the attack angle from 90 degrees to 110 degrees to better line up with its effect.

Orb of Light: Reduced the extended recharge time of this skill when detonating the orb of light from 400% to 300%. Detonating the orb of light now grants light aura to allies, in addition to its previous effects. This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will use the 20% higher heal scaling in all game types.

Empower: This skill now grants healing per pulse in addition to might. It will now heal for 17% of the previous healing value for 3 ticks and then 50% at the skill’s end.

Line of Warding: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and how has a 30-second recharge in all game modes.

Utility Skills:

Spirit Weapons: Spirit weapons have been reworked. They now use the ammo system.

Hammer of Wisdom: This now has an ammo count of 2, and using the skill orders the hammer to knock down your foe. Count recharge is 30 seconds.

Bow of Truth: This now has an ammo count of 2, and using the skill barrages an area with healing arrows. Count recharge is 30 seconds.

Shield of the Avenger: This now has an ammo count of 3, and using the skill creates a protective dome and flings projectiles at nearby enemies. Count recharge is 25 seconds.

Sword of Justice: This now has an ammo count of 3, and using the skill targets an area for the sword to repeatedly attack. Count recharge is 25 seconds.

Bane Signet: Fixed a bug with this skill when attempting to use it on a target behind you.

Hold the Line!: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will use the increased 6-second duration in all game types.

Fragments of Faith: The detonation effect of this trap is no longer unblockable.

Traits:

Justice Is Blind: This trait now grants you light aura when you activate Virtue of Justice, in addition to its previous effects.

Radiant Fire: Fixed a bug with this trait in which it would fail to apply burning to nearby enemies when triggered.

Retribution: This trait now grants Ferocity while you have retaliation, in addition to its previous effect.

Zealous Scepter: This trait now also grants 1 stack of might for 10 seconds if you are using a nonscepter weapon when it triggers.

Expeditious Spirits: This trait has been reworked and renamed Eternal Armory. Eternal Armory increases the maximum ammo count of Spirit Weapon skills while reducing their recharge and causes strikes from Spirit Weapons to inflict burning.

Symbolic Avenger: This trait now converts 13% of your Toughness into Power, in addition to its previous effect.

Radiant Retaliation: This trait has been reworked and renamed Righteous Instincts. Righteous Instincts increases your chance to critically strike and grants 1 stack of might for 6 seconds every second while you have retaliation.

Symbolic Exposure: Increased the stacks of vulnerability inflicted by this trait from 1 stack to 3 stacks and the vulnerability duration from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.

Invigorated Bulwark: This trait has been reworked. It now grants increased outgoing healing percentage when you block and no longer requires you to wield a mace. This trait also reduces the recharge of mace skills and increases the duration of boons granted by mace skills.

Perfect Inscriptions: This no longer grants light aura but instead shares the passive effects of the activated signets with your allies.

Honorable Staff: This trait now grants up to 200 Concentration at level 80, regardless of weapon wielded. Removed increased boon duration while wielding a staff.

Protector’s Impact: This trait now casts Lesser Symbol of Protection when you use your healing skill in addition to when you take falling damage, and it has a recharge of 20 seconds. Fixed a bug that caused the falling damage reduction to not function while Lesser Symbol of Protection was recharging.

Healer’s Retribution: Fixed a bug that was preventing this trait from granting retaliation when using Purification.

MesmerIn addition to being integrated into the new ammo system, mesmer mantras are seeing a comprehensive overhaul. When we took a look at the traits available to mantras, we found that harmonious mantras and restorative mantras had conflicting purposes. Restorative mantras are most effective when you are restocking your mantra charges, but harmonious mantras made it harder to do this. With new mantras in the upcoming firebrand specialization, we wanted to make sure that mesmer mantras had gameplay that was unique to them. Our decision was to focus mesmer mantras on combat casting, which meant removing harmonious mantras and adding additional bonuses to mesmer mantras when they are fully restocked. The removal of harmonious mantras also allowed us to make the active effects stronger since we no longer had to worry about the balance skewing that adding a third cast would create. Removing harmonious mantras also gave us space to build a new Dueling Grandmaster trait that favors Precision builds.Profession:

Cry of Frustration: Fixed the vigor skill fact that appears when Bountiful Disillusionment is present so that the correct 8-second vigor duration is indicated.

Illusionary Warlock: Fixed a bug that caused this phantasm’s attack to not increase in damage against foes with certain conditions.

Illusionary Berserker: The attack from this phantasm now has a consistent move distance and is unaffected by enhancements that change movement speed.

Continuum Split: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill to go on a longer-than-expected recharge when traited with Master of Misdirection.

Weapon Skills:

Phantasmal Berserker: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to not display legendary-weapon projectile effects.

Spatial Surge: Slightly increased its beam width.

Blurred Frenzy: This skill now goes on full cooldown if it is canceled.

The Prestige: This skill now removes 1 condition when activated.

Utility Skills:

Signet of the Ether: Increased the healing rate to once per second instead of once per 3 seconds. The healing per pulse has been reduced to preserve approximate healing per second.

Mantras: Mantra skills will no longer display their number of charges in the enhancement bar and will instead use the ammo system. Reduced cast time by 0.5 seconds. Mantras no longer grant bonus Toughness while channeling. Ammo count has been set to 2. Recharges between casts have not changed.

Mantra of Recovery: When fully charged, this skill now heals for a small amount.

Power Return: Count recharge has been set to 20 seconds. Lowered base healing by approximately 33%. Heal amount is increased while below 50% health.

Mantra of Concentration: Reduced recharge to 15 seconds. Count recharge has been set to 30 seconds. When fully charged, grants a stack of stability and aegis for 5 seconds.

Power Spike: Count recharge has been set to 10 seconds. Inflicts 5 stacks of vulnerability for 8 seconds on foes not using skills. Updated the skill description to reflect that this skill his multiple targets.

Power Cleanse: Count recharge has been set to 24 seconds. Increased the number of conditions removed from 2 to 3. Added an effect to indicate skill area.

Arcane Thievery: This skill has been unsplit and now has a 25-second recharge in all game modes.

Signet of Midnight: The signet’s active effect now grants stealth for 2 seconds but no longer applies vulnerability or cripple. The recharge has been increased from 25 seconds to 30 seconds.

Traits:

Harmonious Mantras: This trait has been removed from the game.

Superiority Complex: This trait replaces Harmonious Mantras and increases critical-hit damage by 15%. This bonus is further increased to 25% against foes below 50% health or foes who become disabled by stun, daze, taunt, fear, knockdown, etc.

Mistrust: This trait has been removed from the game.

Ineptitude: This trait has been moved to the Grandmaster trait line in Dueling, to the slot previously taken by Mistrust, and its effects have changed. This trait now causes interrupts to inflict blind for 5 seconds, and applies blind to inflict 2 stacks of confusion for 5 seconds.

Phantasmal Force: This trait replaces the slot left open by Ineptitude and has the following effect: Phantasms gain a 1% damage boost whenever might is applied to them, and a 4% damage boost whenever they attack (maximum bonus 25%). This bonus damage lasts until the phantasm is destroyed.

Restorative Mantras: Fixed a bug that caused this trait to show incorrect values based on the player’s Healing-Power multiplier. Lowered base multiplier by 37%. Increased Healing-Power multiplier by 25%.

Persistence of Memory: This trait has been reworked. It now causes shattered phantasms to transfer their boons to the mesmer.

The Pledge: This trait now grants a flat 20% recharge reduction but no longer causes torch skills to remove conditions. Instead, it causes torch skills to apply an additional stack of burning. (Does not affect phantasm attacks.)

Mender’s Purity: This trait now casts Lesser Power Cleanse, which removes 1 condition from you and nearby allies. Fixed a bug that could cause this trait to put Mantra of Resolve on recharge. This trait now shows an effect to indicate its radius.

Chaotic Dampening: This trait now grants a flat 20% recharge reduction to staff and trident skills instead of scaling the recharge reduction with Chaos Armor. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to grant an unlisted 50 Toughness while wielding a staff or trident.

Descent into Madness: The skill fired by this trait has been renamed to Lesser Chaos Storm. This trait now casts Lesser Chaos Storm when you use your healing skill in addition to when you take falling damage.

NecromancerOne of the biggest changes for necromancers in this patch is the change to the Vital Persistence trait. Previously, this trait reduced the rate at which life force decayed while in shroud and was too powerful compared to the other two traits in the same tier. We’ve changed the functionality of this trait in order to provide a different option that is easier to track and is more competitive with other traits in the same tier. The Lich Form elite skill has also received a significant update and had most of its functionality overhauled to better position it as a power-based option that can complement Plaguelands. One other major change was to the Signets of Suffering trait in the Spite line, which previously was competing with Spiteful Spirit as a boon-corruption option. We’ve reworked this trait to more directly benefit signet skills and increase the boon-corruption power of Spiteful Spirit a bit for players who want that functionality.Profession:

Infusing Terror: Updated the description of this skill to clarify the damage-reduction component.

Weapon Skills:

Life Siphon: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higher healing value in all game modes. Fixed a bug that caused this skill to go on higher (normal) recharge when interrupted while Quickening Thirst is equipped.

Dark Pact: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higher damage value in all game modes.

Utility Skills:

Spectral Walk: Removed one of the unique enhancements from visibility because it had no function. Increased duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.

Spectral Armor: Increased duration from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.

Spectral Wall: Increased duration from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.

Spectral Grasp: This skill now fires at the necromancer’s original target and up to 4 other enemies within a 1,200 range. Increased the recharge from 20 seconds to 50 seconds. This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now functions the same in all game modes.

Lich Form: This skill has had a functionality rework for many of its skills. Its active duration has been increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds.

Marked for Death: This skill has been renamed to Lich’s Gaze. The functionality of this skill has been reworked and will now fire a bolt of dark energy at a random, nearby enemy that cripples for 2 seconds and applies vulnerability for 10 seconds. This skill uses the new ammo system, with an ammo count of 5 and a count recharge of 1.5 seconds. There is a 0.1-second recharge between each use.

Chilling Wind: This skill has been renamed to Ripple of Horror. The lich will now fire a wave of terrible power that fears enemies struck by it for 2 seconds. Grants access to March of Undeath while the wave is active.

March of Undeath: Shadowstep to your Ripple of Horror, destroying it.

Mark of Horror: This skill has been renamed to Summon Madness. This skill no longer requires a ground target. Upon casting, minions will spawn every second for the next 8 seconds. Minions spawned have been changed from Jagged Horrors to a new Unstable Horror. Unstable Horrors have a low health pool and will explode after 6 seconds if they are not killed, dealing damage in a 180 radius around them.

Grim Specter: This skill has been reworked to no longer clear conditions from allies or boons from enemies. This skill now tethers up to 5 nearby enemies, drawing Vitality to the lich. The lich gains up to 30 Vitality per stack for 20 seconds, life-stealing each pulse. Enemy players struck by this skill have their Vitality reduced by an equivalent amount for the same duration.

Shadow Fiend: Increased damage of basic attack by 50%. Increased damage of Haunt skill by 33%, and fixed an incorrect skill description. Haunt now applies chilled for 3 seconds and weakness for 5 seconds, in addition to blind.

Signet of Spite: When activated, this skill now inflicts 2 stacks of torment for 6 seconds, in addition to its previous active effects.

Traits:

Soul Eater: This trait has had its functionality changed. It now reduces the recharge of greatsword skills by 20%. Additionally, it grants healing and life force every second while in combat and wielding a greatsword

Spectral Mastery: Duration increase has been reduced from 50% to 20%.

Spiteful Spirit: Fixed a bug that caused this trait to be nonfunctional while underwater. Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from granting retaliation. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to fail to display the number of boons converted. Increased the number of boons converted from 1 to 2.

Chill of Death: The skill fired by this trait has been renamed to Lesser Spinal Shivers.

Terrifying Descent: This trait now also inflicts 1 stack of torment for 3 seconds on foes you fear, in addition to its previous functionality. The skill activated when taking falling damage has been named Lesser Terrify.

Spiteful Renewal: This trait now triggers when you use a healing skill instead of when striking a low-health foe.

Signets of Suffering: This trait has been reworked to have the following functionality: Signets have a 20% reduced recharge and their passive abilities are improved. Signet passive effects are preserved while in a shroud.

Signet of Vampirism: Healing when struck has been increased by approximately 50%.

Plague Signet: The number of conditions drawn per interval has been increased from 1 to 2.

Signet of Spite: Increased Power to 270 at level 80.

Signet of the Locust: Grants an additional 180 Healing Power at level 80.

Signet of Undeath: Life-force gain per interval has been increased from 2% to 3%.

Ritual of Life: This trait no longer improves revive speed. The skill cast by this trait has been renamed Lesser Well of Blood. This trait now causes Well of Blood and Lesser Well of Blood to revive allies by 7% each pulse.

Life from Death: Increased the revive amount to 10%. Increased healing by 25%.

Vampiric Rituals: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now provides 5 seconds of protection in all game modes. Increased life-stealing values by approximately 100%.

Speed of Shadows: This trait has been reworked, now grants 10 seconds of swiftness, and removes all movement-impairing conditions when you enter a shroud.

Vital Persistence: This trait no longer slows shroud decay but instead grants bonus Vitality and reduces the recharge of shroud skills by 20%.

RangerWith this release, we’ve aimed to update numerous traits for readability and synergy within each line. Included in these changes are some quality-of-life updates, such as syncing pet-swap trait cooldowns with the cooldown pet swap, as well as major revisions to some traits like Most Dangerous Game and Empathic Bond. While revisiting traits, we also reviewed the ranger’s signets with an eye on encouraging player choice of whether to activate the signet or retain the passive benefits by ensuring the actives are not merely a temporarily better version of the passive.Profession:

Celestial Avatar: Fixed a bug that was causing druids in Celestial Avatar form to lose access to their energy and transformation if they were frozen by Ice Storm (in Bitterfrost Frontier).

Drake: Fixed a bug causing the Tail Swipe skill to display a smaller radius than the actual skill; it now correctly displays the larger radius of 280.

Weapon Skills:

Maul: Fixed a bug in which the damage was being incorrectly updated when traited with Two-Handed Training.

Swoop: Changed the range skill fact from 1,100 to 1,000 to better reflect the actual range of this skill (no functionality change).

Hilt Bash: Fixed a bug that was occasionally causing this skill to miss at near maximum range or strike a target behind you.

Winter’s Bite: Unsplit this skill from PvP. The higher 150% damage will now be used in all game types.

Ancestral Grace: This skill now grants your pet protection for 3 seconds. Fixed a bug in which the player’s backpack would still be shown while moving.

Utility Skills:

Signet of Renewal: Reduced the recharge of this skill from 60 seconds to 50 seconds. The old passive effect of removing a single condition every 10 seconds has been replaced with Signet of the Wild’s, in which you and your pet recover health constantly. The active effect now grants resistance to your pet for 2 seconds when they take conditions from nearby allies to themselves.

Signet of Stone: Added additional tooltip information to indicate how much Toughness is gained from the passive of this skill.

Signet of the Hunt: Increased the recharge of this skill from 30 seconds to 40 seconds. The old active effect of increasing the damage of your and your pet’s next strike has been replaced with making your and your pet’s attacks unblockable for 6 seconds.

Signet of the Wild: Reduced the recharge of this skill from 60 seconds to 40 seconds. The cast time of this skill has been reduced by 0.25 seconds. The old passive of recovering health constantly has been moved to Signet of Renewal and replaced with improved Ferocity for you and your pet. The old active of gaining stability and increased damage has been replaced and now immobilizes nearby foes for several seconds.

Strength of the Pack: Removed a tooltip that was no longer relevant.

Glyphs: Fixed a bug in which being transformed while in the Celestial Avatar state would leave your glyphs in that mode.

Muddy Terrain: This skill now inflicts slow for 1 second every pulse, in addition to cripple. This change also applies to the version of the skill fired by the trait Soften the Fall.

Traits:

Opening Strike: This trait now grants Opening Strike to both you and your pet, rather than to just you.

Enlargement: This trait has been replaced with Stoneform. Stoneform casts Lesser Signet of Stone when your health drops below the 50% health threshold, granting you temporary immunity to damage from attacks.

Predator’s Instinct: This trait has been replaced with Hunter’s Gaze. Hunter’s Gaze grants you varying amounts of might when striking a foe based on their health percentage.

Clarion Bond: This trait now casts Lesser Call of the Wild when you swap pets. Lesser Call of the Wild has a shorter cooldown and grants shorter duration enhancements than Call of the Wild.

Brutish Seals: This trait has been reworked. It no longer grants might. Brutish Seals now grants 6 seconds of fury to allies around you when using a signet and reduces the recharge of your signets.

Most Dangerous Game: This trait has been replaced by Vicious Quarry. Vicious Quarry causes fury on you, granting increased Ferocity, as well as an additional critical-strike chance, and grants 4 seconds of fury when you are struck while below 75% health.

Natural Vigor: The endurance recovery granted by this trait has been increased from 20% to 25%.

Expertise Training: This trait has been renamed and reworked to Taste for Danger. It now grants increased Vitality and converts 7% of Vitality into Expertise for both you and your pet.

Bark Skin: This trait has been replaced with Rugged Growth. Rugged Growth heals you or your pet while they have protection.

Empathic Bond: This trait has been reworked and now splits the duration of conditions applied to you between you and your pet.

Rejuvenation: The internal cooldown of this trait has been reduced from 18 seconds to 10 seconds.

Instinctive Reaction: This trait no longer grants Power based on your Healing Power. You and your pet now convert 7% of your Power into Healing Power.

Vigorous Training: This trait has been renamed Spirited Arrival. Grant vigor and fury to nearby allies for 8 seconds when you swap pets.

Lingering Magic: This trait no longer grants boon duration. It now grants up to 240 Concentration at level 80 to both you and your pet.

Go for the Eyes: Removed increased pet Toughness.

Zephyr’s Speed: This trait now casts Lesser Quickening Zephyr when you swap pets. Lesser Quickening Zephyr is not a stun break, has a shorter cooldown, and grants shorter duration enhancements than Quickening Zephyr.

Companion’s Might: This trait has been replaced with Potent Ally. Potent Ally grants 1 stack of might for 6 seconds to you or your pet when the other one critically strikes a foe.

Soften the Fall: This trait now casts Lesser Muddy Terrain when you use your healing skill, in addition to when you take falling damage.

Lead the Wind: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from updating longbow skills with the Pierces skill fact.

RevenantInspiring Reinforcement felt lacking in its stability generation because you still had to wait for the skill to complete before gaining stability. We’ve changed it to immediately grant stability to the caster so you have the opportunity to prevent crowd control before it lands. The Retribution trait line’s identity was centered around Sustain and was somewhat lacking in synergy; a couple trait reworks here are intended to create some interplay with retaliation and stability. The Devastation line and the Legendary Assassin stance have been about Power damage and seizing initiative, and we’ve pushed a few modifications here to help Power builds and offer revenants more control on when their traits come into play.Weapon Skills:

Hammer Bolt: Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to hit foes beyond its maximum range.

Echoing Eruption: This skill now leaps to a target, if there is one. Increased the leap distance traveled by 25%. Fixed a bug causing this skill to display the incorrect range.

Shackling Wave: Increased damage by 66%. This attack now inflicts 8 stacks of vulnerability for 5 seconds. The range has been increased from 300 to 450.

Grasping Shadow: Increased damage by 25%. The fury duration has been increased from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.

Utility Skills:

Protective Solace: Fixed a bug with this skill’s tooltip displaying the incorrect radius.

Inspiring Reinforcement: This skill has been unsplit from PvP, reducing the energy cost of this skill from 35 to 30 in all game types.

Vengeful Hammers: Added a third hammer and reduced damage by 33% to preserve approximate damage per second. Changed the base function of this skill so you can no longer lose projectiles as a result of passing too close to uneven terrain. This skill has been unsplit from PvP, using the increased healing values in all game types.

Energy Expulsion: Increased the duration of fragments created by this skill from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

Enchanted Daggers: Increased damage by 20%.

Riposting Shadows: This skill now grants 6 seconds of fury when activated.

Impossible Odds: This skill now grants 10% increased damage for its duration in addition to its existing effects.

Jade Winds: This skill now inflicts 6 stacks of vulnerability for 6 seconds on each foe struck, in addition to its existing effects.

Soothing Stone: This skill now grants 5 seconds of retaliation when used, rather than scaling retaliation based on the number of conditions removed.

Traits:

Abyssal Chill: Fixed a bug that affected how this trait displays its torment skill fact.

Nefarious Momentum: Increased the might granted when using an assassin-stance skill from 2 to 3 stacks. This trait now grants 2 stacks of might for 10 seconds when using a nonassassin stance skill.

Mutilate Defenses: This trait now has a chance to inflict vulnerability when you critically strike rather than on any strike. The chance to inflict vulnerability has been increased from 25% to 33%, and the duration of vulnerability has been increased from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.

Empowering Vengeance: This trait has been reworked and renamed Vicious Reprisal. Vicious Reprisal increases the duration of retaliation applied to you by 50% and causes your attacks to do 10% increased damage, granting 1 stack of might for 8 seconds as long as you have retaliation.

Improved Aggression: This trait has been split and now increases taunt duration by 100% in PvE and 25% in WvW and PvP. It now also grants 2 seconds of retaliation when taunting a foe.

Versed in Stone: This trait now also converts 13% of your Toughness into Power.

Determined Resolution: This trait has been reworked and now reduces the damage you take while you have stability by 15%, and increases the duration of stability you apply by 33%.

Hardened Foundation: This trait has been reworked and now grants up to 120 Toughness, converting 7% of your Toughness into Healing Power.

Natural Abundance: Increased the duration of fragments from this trait from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

Hardening Persistence: Fixed an issue in PvP where this trait was not granting the proper amount of Toughness when using Facet of Light.

Planar Protection: This trait now casts Dome of the Mists when you use your healing skill in addition to when you take falling damage. Increased Dome of the Mists’s recharge from 5 seconds to 20 seconds.

Envoy of Sustenance: This trait no longer grants boon duration. It now grants up to 240 Concentration at level 80.

Venom Enhancement: Increased the poison application of this trait from 1 stack to 2 stacks.

Focused Siphoning: Increased damage dealt by 20%.

Malicious Reprisal: This trait now triggers when you block an attack as well as when your attacks are blocked. The unblockable attacks from this trait now deal 25% increased damage. This trait has swapped positions with Jade Echo and moved to the Master tier. Reduced recharge from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.

Assassin’s Annihilation: Increased damage dealt by 20%.

Enduring Recovery: This trait no longer grants a chance to recover endurance every 10 seconds when struck. Instead, it now grants a constant 25% increased endurance recovery, as long as the trait is equipped.

Jade Echo: This trait has swapped positions with Malicious Reprisal and moved to the Adept tier. Renamed the skill fired by this trait to Lesser Jade Winds.

Assassin’s Presence: Increased the Ferocity bonus granted by this trait to 225 at level 80.

Dwarven Battle Training: The chance to apply weakness has been increased to 100%.

Dismantle Fortifications: This trait now grants 5 stacks of might for 5 seconds when you attempt to disable a foe with stability, in addition to its previous effects.

Steadfast Rejuvenation: Increased the chance for healing to occur to 100%. Increased healing by 25%.

ThiefThe Daredevil specialization has largely taken over the Power-based gameplay that used to be the domain of the sword, so we are giving sword (and sword-related traits) an enhancement in order to ensure it has some unique utility to offer. Tricks and signets are also receiving several changes to help them compete with the very powerful utility skills offered by deceptions and physicals. Finally, we are also reassessing some traits that we felt were either lacking in power or not offering enough diversity in choice.Profession:

Stolen Skills:

Skull Fear: Added a missing unblockable skill fact.

Consume Plasma: Increased the duration of stability granted by this skill from 3 seconds to 5 seconds. This skill now also grants quickness for 2.5 seconds.

Throw Gunk: This skill is now targeted instead of ground targeted when used underwater. Updated the skill facts to show the correct number of hits.

Weapon Skills:

Infiltrator’s Strike: This skill now grants 3 seconds of swiftness when cast, in addition to its previous effects.

Infiltrator’s Return: Lowered the aftercast by 0.2 seconds.

Larcenous Strike: This skill now deals 20% bonus damage to boonless foes. This damage is calculated after the boon strip takes place.

Flanking Strike (Sword Attack): This attack is now unblockable.

Flanking Strike (Spear Attack): This skill has been renamed to Flanking Dive, to eliminate confusion with similarly named skills and traits.

Tactical Strike: This skill has been unsplit and now dazes for 2 seconds in all game modes when attacking from behind. Increased the damage by 33%.

Dancing Dagger: Now applies 1 stack of torment for 6 seconds, in addition to its previous effects.

Pistol Whip: Increased the stun duration to 0.75 seconds. Added an additional warning effect to Warmup. Reduced the number of flurry hits from 8 to 4, to match the animation. Flurry damage has been increased by 100% to compensate.

Utility Skills:

Distracting Daggers: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 3 with a count recharge of 20 seconds. There is a 1-second recharge between uses.

Haste: Lowered the recharge from 50 seconds to 30 seconds. Now grants swiftness for 6 seconds, in addition to its previous effects.

Roll for Initiative: Lowered the recharge from 60 seconds to 35 seconds.

Signet of Shadows: The active effect now applies weakness and 10 stacks of vulnerability for 5 seconds, in addition to blind. This skill now requires a target before it will activate. This skill will no longer activate and do nothing if it is cast on a target out of range.

Thieves Guild: The thieves summoned by this skill will now use chatter lines that match their race. Increased the number of thieves summoned to 3.

Ambush: The thieves summoned by this skill will now use chatter lines that match their race.

Dagger Storm: Reduced the duration from 8 seconds to 4 seconds, but doubled the number of daggers thrown. Now gives 1 stack of stability for 6 seconds on activation instead of pulsing stacks. This skill now increases movement speed by 100% while activated. Changed the system that limited hits on the same target to be more consistent for multiple thieves using the skill at the same time.

Assassin’s Signet: The active skill of this signet now triples the Power bonus of the passive for 5 seconds. Reduced the recharge from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.

Hide in Shadows: Fixed a bug in which this skill was not receiving increased stealth duration from Meld with Shadows.

Traits:

Improvisation: Updated the text description to refer to Stolen Skills instead of Stolen Items. The skill-recharge portion of this trait now has a 20-second internal cooldown.

Hidden Killer: This trait now grants a lingering 100% critical-hit chance enhancement for 2 seconds when you are revealed from stealth in addition to its previous functionality.

Flanking Strikes (Trait): This trait has been renamed to Burst of Agility to eliminate confusion with the similarly named attack skills. The version of haste activated by this trait has been renamed to Lesser Haste. Lesser Haste now grants swiftness for 6 seconds in addition to its previous effects.

Pain Response: This trait now removes confusion in addition to its other effects.

Swindler’s Equilibrium: Increased bonus damage to 10%. Increased internal cooldown from 1 second to 20 seconds. This trait now fully recharges steal when the conditions are met instead of recharging it by 1 second.

Side Strikes: This trait has been removed, and its effects have been combined with Flawless Strikes. It has been replaced with Assassin’s Fury.

Assassin’s Fury: This trait grants 3 stacks of might for 8 seconds whenever you gain fury and has a 2-second internal cooldown.

Flawless Strikes: This trait has been renamed to Twin Fangs and now causes attacks from behind or beside to have 7% bonus critical-hit chance in addition to its previous functionality.

Signets of Power: This trait no longer grants might when a signet is cast. Instead, it causes all signets to have a second passive effect. The additional passive varies per signet.

Cloaked in Shadow: The falling damage component of this trait has been moved to Last Refuge. This trait now makes you immune to critical hits while in stealth in addition to blinding nearby foes when you stealth. The blind applied by this trait can now be blocked or evaded.

Last Refuge: The blinding powder cast by this skill has been renamed to Lesser Blinding Powder. This trait now also causes you to cast Lesser Blinding Powder when you take fall damage and reduces falling damage in addition to its previous functionality. Fixed a bug that caused Lesser Blinding Powder to be considered a trick instead of a deception.

Endless Stamina: This trait now grants a +240 Concentration at level 80 in addition to its previous effects.

Don’t Stop: This trait has been reworked and now causes incoming movement-impairing conditions have 80% reduced duration while you have swiftness. Additionally, when you gain swiftness it removes one movement-impairing condition.

WarriorIn addition to moving some utility skills to the new ammo system, we’re also taking a look at the Strength and Arms trait lines. These lines have several adjustments aimed at making each choice more meaningful and less conflicting with other choices in the same tier while also focusing the purpose of each trait line into areas that make the most sense. One important trait that changed in this process was Berserker’s Power, which is an important trait for warriors who rely on Power damage. This trait previously granted a damage bonus based on the tier of adrenaline you were at when you used a burst skill. We’ve updated this trait to better scale with the amount of adrenaline you use so that warriors can feel good about using lower-level bursts consecutively rather than always waiting for the level 3.Profession:

Primal Burst: These skills now count as level-1 bursts for the purposes of traits that scale on adrenaline level.

Weapon Skills:

Throw Axe: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 2 with a 10-second count recharge. There is a 1-second recharge between uses.

Combustive Shot: Fixed a bug that caused the projectile created by this skill to be destroyed without creating the damaging area when fired at enemy gates in WvW.

Scorched Earth: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to fail to hit some gates in WvW.

Flaming Flurry: Increased projectile speed by 66%.

Aimed Shot: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higher damage values and vulnerability stack amounts in all game modes.

Flames of War: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higher burn duration and burning stack values in all game modes.

Blaze Breaker: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higher condition durations in all game modes.

Utility Skills:

“On My Mark!”: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 2 with a 30-second count recharge. There is a 5-second recharge between uses.

Kick: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 3 with a 30-second count recharge. There is a 3-second recharge between uses.

Throw Bolas: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 2 with a 25-second count recharge. There is a 1-second recharge between uses.

Bull’s Charge: This skill now evades for the duration of the charge. Increased damage by 267%. This skill now goes on full recharge if interrupted.

Traits:

Berserker’s Power: This trait’s functionality has been changed. It now provides a stacking 7% damage-increase enhancement for 10 seconds for each bar of adrenaline used when a burst skill hits. Maximum 3 stacks.

Axe Mastery: This trait has moved to the Discipline line and takes the slot previously taken by Merciless Hammer.

General:A note on target-cap increases: In this balance update, we’re increasing the target cap for a select number of skills and traits. When doing this, we must consider a variety of aspects, from game health to server performance. These changes are intended for the specific purpose of improving large-group compositions and to improve their general support capability. We’ll continue to monitor these changes as time goes on and will make changes as necessary. However, we will not be looking to increase our five-target-maximum standard for player skills and will seldom (if ever) increase existing skill/trait caps.For the first time in a very long time, we’re changing what a specific combo finisher does. In the past, we made side steps from retaliation to a light aura that gives retaliation. In this update, we’ll be changing the blast finisher for light fields to directly remove conditions from nearby allies. The team will be analyzing the effects of this in each game type and will be following up with it if necessary.

Rune of Lyssa: This rune will no longer trigger when the player has no conditions on them. This item will now use the standard “condition to boon” conversion table.Rune of the Krait: Fixed a bug in which the sixth effect of this rune would not properly apply torment to targets.Light Field: Blasting a light field will now cleanse a condition from allies in a radius of 360. This previously granted retaliation.Confusion: Fixed a bug in which the player could take a massive amount of damage if holding a ranged autoattack down while their target is behind them.

In this update, we’ve reduced quite a few recharges for many weapon and utility skills that felt too high in light of previous reductions to cooldown traits. With that said, we’re also looking to reduce the elementalist’s damage in high-level content, as this profession’s damage and utility mix currently crowds out other potential high-damage dealers.

Arc Lightning: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now deal the higher damage values (25%) in all areas of the game.Ride the Lightning: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.Frost Aura: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.Cleansing Wave: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds. The number of conditions cleansed has been increased from 1 to 2.Earthquake: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds. Fixed a bug that caused the blast finisher to occur around the elementalist’s selected target rather than around their current position.Frozen Ground: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.Healing Rain: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.Static Field: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.Meteor Shower: This skill now has a 0.5-second cooldown when hitting nonplayer targets.Armor of Earth: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 75 seconds to 50 seconds.Mist Form: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 75 seconds to 60 seconds.Ether Renewal: The healing of this skill has been increased by 6% per pulse.Arcane Brilliance: The radius of this skill has been increased from 240 to 360.Overload Air: The damage of this skill has been reduced by 7% in PvE only.Glyph of Elemental Harmony: This skill has been unsplit from PvP, and the cooldown of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds game-wide.Arcane Shield: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use the lower recharge (40 seconds) in all areas of the game.

The goal for engineers in this update is to improve trait synergy, weapon usefulness, and kit purity of purpose. Both power and condition builds will be affected in this round of changes, with a focus on PvE group viability. Notable to this, the trait Pinpoint Distribution now grants a unique condition-damage bonus to allies around the engineer. The Flamethrower utility kit is now focused on burning and keeping that condition on your enemies.

Blunderbuss: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now deal the higher (10%) damage values in all areas of the game. Increased bleeding stacks from 1 – 4 to 2 – 5, based on range. Increased bleeding duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.Fragmentation Shot: Bleeding duration has been increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.Blowtorch: The number of burning applications that this skill applies has been increased from 1/2/3 to 2/3/4.Elixir U: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.Toss Elixir U: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 50 seconds to 40 seconds.Super Elixir: Fixed a bug where this skill would display the wrong healing values underwater.Shredder Gyro Self-Destruct: Increased damage to match other gyros.Shredder Gyro: Increased damage by roughly 50%.Glue Bomb: Immobilize duration of this skill has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds.Big Ol’ Bomb: This skill is now affected by Short Fuse. The visual size of this bomb has been increased by 33%.Short Fuse: Updated the Fuse Time to correctly display the fuse time reduction of 0.5 seconds. This trait now affects Big Ol’ Bomb.Glass Cannon: The threshold for damage increase has been reduced from 90% to 75%.Shaped Charge: The damage of this skill has been increased from 7% to 10%.Static Discharge: The damage dealt by this trait has been increased by 20%.Shrapnel: The chance for this trait to activate has been increased from 15% to 33%. Reduced cripple duration from 2 seconds to 1 second. Reduced bleed duration from 12 seconds to 6 seconds. Fixed issues with this trait that caused it to activate at lower-than-expected rates for some skills. Updated the description to specify that this trait only activates on hit.Explosion: Skills that count as explosions for the traits Steel-Packed Powder, Explosive Powder, and Shrapnel are now marked with a skill fact. Scrapper gyro detonations are now considered explosions. Skills that do not hit the enemy, such as Smoke Bomb and Magnetic Bomb, are no longer considered explosions for combat clarity reasons.Pinpoint Distribution: This trait no longer grants condition damage based on precision. This trait will now instead grant up to 150 condition damage to nearby allies.Flame Jet: The duration of burning inflicted on the final hit of this skill has been increased from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.Flame Blast: Reduced the base damage of this skill by 66%. This skill now inflicts burning for 3 seconds.Detonate Flame Blast: Reduced the base damage of this skill by 57%. This skill now inflicts 2 stacks of burning for 3 seconds.

Improvements to underused base skills have been the general focus for the guardian in this patch, but we are also giving the dragonhunter specialization a little bit more counterplay in PvP scenarios. We’ve unsplit a few of the changes introduced this winter, taking either the more powerful option or compensating to a more powerful level than is available in most game modes.

Virtue of Resolve: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 30-second cooldown.Virtue of Courage: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 45-second baseline cooldown.Signet of Courage: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 120-second cooldown.Spear of Justice: The casting time of this skill has been increased from 0.25 seconds to slightly under 0.75 seconds.Deflecting Shot: The missile hitbox has been improved.Whirling Wrath: Reduced recharge from 10 seconds to 8 seconds. Increased damage by 20%. Projectile damage is now listed separately from melee damage.Leap of Faith: Reduced recharge from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.Symbol of Wrath: Increased damage by 22%.Binding Blade: Reduced recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.Purification: The trap heal on this skill has been reduced by approximately 16% in PvP only.Litany of Wrath: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.“Receive the Light!”: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.“Feel My Wrath!”: The quickness duration granted by this skill has been increased from 5 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP only.

The mesmer is receiving a few different additions and reworks. Time Warp is one of the select skills and traits in this update, which is being changed to affect ten targets. Also in this update, we are implementing initial attacks on several phantasm skills, allowing the mesmer to deliver a primary attack in addition to the summon in order to provide a bit more constant pressure on your targets.

Arcane Thievery: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.Null Field: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 32 seconds to 25 seconds.Feedback: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 32 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.Signet of Midnight: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.Phantasmal Defender: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.Time Warp: The interval of quickness and slow that this skill applies has been increased from every 1 second to every 2 seconds. Quickness and slow duration have been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. This skill now affects up to ten targets. This skill will now apply slow through an unblockable attack rather than directly applying through all defense.Portal Exeunt: This skill now has a 1-second recharge after Portal Entre is used.Well of Action: Increased the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.Chaos Armor: Reduced recharge to 30 seconds. This skill now applies a random condition (confusion, cripple, or weakness) to nearby foes when activated.Illusionary Counter: This skill now evades attacks during the counterattack animation.Illusionary Riposte: This skill now evades attacks during the counterattack animation.Phantasmal Duelist: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now fires a slow-moving homing bullet that cripples its target if it hits.Phantasmal Mage: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now burns nearby foes when activated.Phantasmal Warlock: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now also fires Winds of Chaos projectiles at up to 3 unique targets within a radius of 600 of the caster.

Wells: Fixed a bug that caused wells to display their effects incorrectly while under the effects of quickness or slow.Gravity Well: Fixed a bug that caused this well to be destroyed prematurely when used with Continuum Shift.

One of the major goals for the necromancer during this update has been to improve the reaper’s greatsword weapon in all game modes, without blowing its power out in the ones where it was already good. In addition, we’ve also been looking to improve a few baseline utility abilities.

Gravedigger: The aftercast of this skill has been reduced by 0.2 seconds.Death Spiral: The damage of this skill has been increased by 20%.Nightfall: This skill now converts boons into conditions from enemies it hits.Well of Darkness: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 35 seconds.Spectral Wall: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.Spectral Grasp: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.Grasping Darkness: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds. Increased damage by 30%.Well of Blood: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 35 seconds to 30 seconds.Ritual of Life: The well created by this trait has been renamed to the Lesser Well of Blood and will continue to use a 35-second recharge.Deathly Chill: Increased bleed stacks to 3 for 5 seconds in PvE only.Reaper’s Onslaught: Now grants up to 225 bonus ferocity while in a shroud, based on effective level.Life Rend: Increased damage by 17%.Life Slash: Increased damage by 17%.Life Reap: Increased damage by 12.5%. Increased life-force gain from 1.5% to 2%.Death’s Charge: Increased damage by 30%.Chilling Scythe: Increased life-force gain from 3% to 5%.Wells: Fixed a bug that caused wells to display their effects incorrectly while under the effects of quickness or slow.

The ranger will see a variety of changes during this update. Of particular note, we are reducing Grace of the Land’s damage bonus and reworking it so that it’s compatible with all Celestial Avatar abilities and affects ten allies around the druid. We hope this improves the value of a single druid in large-group scenarios. Many pet attacks have had usability and movement enhancements in an effort to improve general damage against moving targets. The greatsword has had a couple of improvements for better damage and pet synergy. Finally, a few underused (and even some meta) utility skills have undergone general quality-of-life improvements.

Maul: This skill now grants an Attack of Opportunity to the ranger’s pet, causing its next attack to deal 50% more damage.Hilt Bash: This skill should now land more consistently when used at max range. This skill no longer grants a damage bonus to pets, but it will now refresh the greatsword’s Maul skill when striking an enemy.Throw Torch: The physical damage of this skill has been increased by 33%.Sharpening Stone: The number of stacks that this skill applies has been increased from 6 to 10.Muddy Terrain: Immobilize duration applied by this skill has been increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.Soften the Fall: Immobilize duration applied by this trait has been increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.Lightning Reflexes: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.Spike Trap: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.Signet of the Wild: Fixed a bug that caused the ranger to be unblockable.Sharpened Edges: The chance to bleed a target on critical hit has been reduced from 66% to 33%.Grace of the Land: Damage per stack of this trait has been reduced from 3 to 2. The number of targets affected by this trait has been increased from 5 to 10.Natural Convergence: This skill will now provide Grace of the Land on every pulse when that trait is equipped.

Avian PetsUpdated on-land nonbasic attacks so that they more consistently hit enemies and can be executed from farther distances.

Canine PetsUpdated on-land basic attacks to more reliably hit enemies, with their executable attack range being increased from 130 to 240.

Crippling Leap: Increased the attack range of this skill from 130 to 180. Also increased the reliability of this skill by increasing the movement speed and duration. This skill will now be affected by quickness.Brutal Charge: Reduced the warmup casting time by 0.5 seconds. This skill will now be affected by quickness.Smokescale: Updated on-land basic attacks to move slightly toward the target when executing attacks on land. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 200.Takedown: Updated this attack to have a slight movement toward the target. Reduced aftercast by 0.25 seconds. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 240.

Wyvern Pets:Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target on each swing. Greatly increased the attack speed of this skill from 3.3 seconds to 2.2 seconds. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 200.

Tail Lash: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target when executing. Reduced the attack of this skill from 3.6 seconds to 1.2 seconds. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 200.Wing Buffet: Reduced the initial casting time of this skill by 0.5 seconds. Increased the attack radius from 240 to 360.

Bite: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target on land and have a faster recovery once the skill has been executed.Maul: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target on land and have a faster recovery once the skill has been executed.Moa Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land.Pig Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land. Increased the attack range from 130 to 200.Maul: Updated this attack to move toward the target when used on land. Reduced the start-up and aftercast by around 0.5 seconds each.Brutal Charge: Reduced the start-up of this skill by 0.5 seconds. Reduced the aftercast by 0.5 seconds.Bear (Ursine) Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land.

In addition to bug fixes and quality-of-life changes, we’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate. We’re excited to see it in play!

Searing Fissure: This skill will now more reliably hit enemies on slopes.Temporal Rift: This skill will now more reliably hit enemies on slopes.Legendary Centaur Stance: Project Tranquility will now instantly activate when invoking this legend. The cost of this skill has been removed.Serene Rejuvenation: In addition to its current bonus, this trait will now cause Natural Harmony to apply alacrity to allies for 3 seconds.Natural Harmony: The base healing of this skill per level has been reduced by 30%. The healing contribution of this skill has been increased by 180%.Forced Engagement: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 35 energy to 25 energy. The recharge for this skill has been increased from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.Rite of the Great Dwarf: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 50 energy to 40 energy in PvP only.Vengeful Hammers: Increased the base damage of this skill by 100%.Ventari’s Will: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 10 energy to 5 energy.Purifying Essence: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 30 energy to 25 energy.Unyielding Anguish: Increased the base damage of this skill by 20%. The duration of torment inflicted by this skill has been increased from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.Burst of Strength: Increased the base damage of this skill by 25% in non-PvP only.

Quality-of-life improvements and PvP health have been our focus for the thief, mainly for daredevil. As such, we’ll be looking to reduce endurance from a few different areas to target survivability through evasion but also compensate for it a bit with extra utility and condition removals.

Infiltrator’s Strike: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 900 maximum range. Immobilize duration has been increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds game-wide.Vault: The code functionality of this skill has been updated. The user will now more accurately travel to the targeted destination when under high-latency situations, in most scenarios. This skill is now affected by quickness. This skill now requires a line of sight to the target point in order to cast.Bound: This trait will no longer trigger the damage and bonus portion if the dodge is canceled or interrupted.Signet of Agility: The endurance gain from this skill has been reduced from 100 to 50 in PvP only.Signet of Agility: Condition cleansing has been increased from 1 to 3 in all game modes.Channeled Vigor: The endurance gain from this skill has been reduced from 25 to 20 per pulse in PvP only.Hard to Catch: The internal cooldown on this trait has been increased from 30 seconds to 45 seconds in PvP only.Upper Hand: The internal cooldown on this trait has been increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP only.Body Shot: The duration of immobilize inflicted by this skill has been increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds in PvP only.Cloak and Dagger: The vulnerability inflicted by this skill has been increased from 3 stacks to 5 stacks.Assassin’s Signet: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.Needle Trap: The poison inflicted by this skill has been increased from 1 stack to 3 stacks.Caltrops: The duration of bleeding inflicted by this skill has been increased from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.Tripwire: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.

Warrior’s banners are the final recipient for our target-increase update, with the unique enhancements from each banner increasing to ten. After that, we’ve mostly focused on improving weapon and utility effectiveness, with some significant increases to underutilized areas.

Deep Strike: This trait has been altered and will now grant condition damage to the warrior whenever they have fury. Condition-damage gain has been increased from 150 to 180.Eviscerate: Lowered the aftercast by 0.25 seconds.Hamstring: This attack now applies 1 stack of bleeding for 8 seconds in addition to its previous effects.Fierce Blow: The base damage dealt by this skill has been increased by 28%.Hammer Shock: The base damage dealt by this skill has been increased by 25%.Combustive Shot: This skill now has a radius of 360 at all adrenaline levels.Rupturing Smash: Increased damage by 50%.Counterblow: This skill now applies 10 stacks of vulnerability for 8 seconds in addition to its previous effects in all game types. Lowered the damage of this skill by 12.5% in PvP only.“To the Limit!”: The endurance gained by this skill has been increased from 25 to 50.“Shake It Off!”: The number of conditions removed by this skill has been increased from 1 to 2.“For Great Justice!”: The might granted by this skill has been increased from 3 stacks to 6 stacks.Mending: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only.Blood Reckoning: The amount healed by this skill has been increased from 10% to 20%.Vigorous Shouts: The effect of healing power on this trait has been increased by 20%.Banner of Defense: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.Banner of Discipline: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.Banner of Strength: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.Banner of Tactics: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.Earthshaker: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to hit 10 targets at level 1 adrenaline.Blaze Breaker: This skill will now attempt to face your target before firing instead of failing. If you cannot face your target, it will instead fire in your current facing direction.Whirling Axe: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from being canceled when transitioning to gliding.Adrenal Health: The amount healed by this trait has been reduced by 10% in PvP only.

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Birthday Boosters and Celebration Boosters can now be used in PvP maps.

Wintersday Black Lion Chests can now be opened in PvP maps.

Dabs, Globs, and Clumps of Destabilized Ectoplasm can now be used in the PvP lobby.

The Bag of Spirit Shards given with the second birthday gift is now usable in PvP maps.

Disconnecting from a PvP match will now add additional respawn time calculated from maximum possible downed bleed duration for a maximum of 30 seconds. Reconnecting to a PvP match with a respawn time will result in death.

Mastery: Commander swiftness is now enabled in the PvP lobby.Leagues:Losing a Ranked season match with a score greater than or equal to 80% of the winning team’s score will award a Near Victory bonus, worth 2 league reward pips.Added rating delta to game history for league matches.Ardent Glorious armor can now be used in the Mystic Forge.Ascended PvP trinkets now have proper icons.Ascended PvP rings can now be attuned.The Mini Emperor Llama is now available from the League Vendor.Significantly reduced the number of Transmutation Charges obtained through league chests.Reduced the number of unidentified dyes obtained through league chests.Reduced the number of Ascended Shards of Glory obtained through league chests, but added Ascended Shards of Glory to the repeatable Byzantium reward chest.Ascended PvP armor and weapons now require special currency that you craft along with Ascended Shards of Glory and gold.The recipes are available from the ascended vendors for league tickets.These recipes require fewer materials than normal ascended crafting, so they are a small discount from just crafting the armor and weapons outright.Ardent Glorious armor skins are now available from the ascended PvP vendors.

GeneralBeing killed while outnumbered no longer grants any war score to the enemy team.All siege devices and traps have been changed to gizmos that are consumed once they are placed.This change was made to help solve bugs in which siege devices and traps weren’t being granted back properly when they weren’t placed.Siege bundles now stay in your hands until players drop, cancel, or run out of siege.Changed the Potion of Ascalonian Mages to work similarly to combat tonics. The transformation now allows for all player skills to be used. The transformation is removed after 30 minutes. Clicking the potion again will remove the transformation.

Alpine BorderlandsGarrison’s back gate that enters the lord’s room now has secured, reinforced, and fortified states like all other gates.

Desert BorderlandsRemoved the floating gargoyle at the Shrine of Fire.

Fractals

The commands /resign, /qq, /gg, etc., may now be used in fractals.

Ascended fractal armor and weapons now require special currency that you craft, along with Fractal

Research Pages, Fractal Relics, and gold.

These recipes are available from BLING-9009.

These recipes require fewer materials than normal ascended crafting, so they are a small discount from just crafting the armor and weapons outright.

Unwanted Integrated Fractal Matrices can now be converted to Fractal Encryption Keys at a rate of 10 keys per matrix at BLING-9009.

Fixed a bug in the event UI that would cause two health bars to appear for the Thaumanova Anomaly.

Living WorldPlayers will now be able to enter Noran’s Safe Room with an oiled key.

GeneralFixed an issue where many mesmer clone-creating skills did not create clones for players using the Endless Miniature Tonic and Infinite Watchknight Tonic.

Pact soldiers returning from the campaign in the Maguuma Jungle have created a monument at the entrance of the Grove.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORENew Items and PromotionsA new Bloodstone Ascender is available in the Toys category of the Gem Store for 250 gems.A new Shattered Bloodstone Glider is available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store for 400 gems.The Emissary’s Staff has returned for a limited time in the Style category of the Gem Store for 600 gems.Taimi’s Dye Kit has returned for a limited time, found in the Special category of the Gem Store for 125 gems.

ImprovementSix new and exclusive eye colors have been added to Total Makeover Kits, which are available in the Services category of the Gem Store.

Bug FixesScribe has been added to the Crafting Discipline filter on the trading post.[/list]

02/08/2017 – February 8th Release NotesLIVING WORLDThe Head of the SnakeCaudecus Beetlestone’s depraved White Mantle faction continues its efforts to bring Kryta to heel. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Jennah of Kryta, requests your presence in Divinity’s Reach—help her root out corruption in the Ministry before crisis strikes.

Lunar New YearThe celebration has ended in Divinity’s Reach, but we wish you good luck and fortune all year!New Legendary Rifle: The HMS DivinityA new legendary weapon is now available. Speak to Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs in Lion’s Arch to learn how to craft the new rifle precursor Man o’ War and forge the new legendary rifle, the HMS Divinity.World Polish

Players can no longer open more Great Exalted Chests and Grand Exalted Chests by changing map instances after completing the meta-event in Auric Basin.

Several items involved in the legendary precursor collections can now only be crafted once per account. If these items are misplaced, replacements can be purchased from Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs in Lion’s Arch.

Fixed an issue that incorrectly caused several supply carts in Gendarran Fields to appear lootable when destroyed.

Bloodstone Fen

Updrafts have been added to the Cavern of Unseen Lights to aid in Bloodstone Crystal Node gathering.

Decreased the rate at which jade constructs drain bloodstone stalagmites, effectively increasing the duration of the associated events.

Thaumanova ReworkThe Thaumanova fractal was lacking in many areas, so it has undergone a significant rework. Changes aim to reduce frustration; improve theming, messaging, and story presentation; and generally make the fractal feel more epic and believable. At tier 4, the duration of the fractal should be a bit shorter, and the overall difficulty should be slightly lower while still being challenging.

General

The audio of the fractal has received numerous improvements.

Server performance has been slightly optimized.

Players will now have to complete all four colliders, regardless of scale.

Fixed a bug that could cause the checkpoint to be reset at the beginning.

Fixed numerous minor bugs.

Main HallThe Inquest are fighting for survival against endless hordes.

Replaced all existing spawns with new ones and added many more.

Removed all existing portals and replaced them with new ones that spawn via scripted events rather than player proximity.

Portals no longer pull in players.

The “Clear out the skritt defending the central control panel” event has been replaced by a new event.

New dialogue scenes have been added.

New AI has been added to the Inquest to help them fight more intelligently.

Jump pads have been added to allow rapid transit between the center ring and the outer rooms.

The liquid in the lower area no longer applies burning.

Moved a Mistlock Singularity from the dormitory to a convenient location.

Subject 6 LabThe Subject 6 encounter retains the same core mechanics, but failing to kill a couple of blue oozes is no longer essentially a reset. Additional scaling has also been added.

Improved the intro scene.

Reworked the Subject 6 Clinging Acid attack to be a bouncing AoE.

Blue ooze will now heal the boss for 6% instead of 25%.

Blue-ooze health has been reduced by 33%.

Markers have been added to all oozes to make them more visible.

Oozes will now instantly heal the boss when they get close, instead of pausing.

Stronger gold oozes now spawn at 75%, 50%, and 25% at tiers 3 and 4.

All oozes now die when the boss is defeated.

Dormitory

Aatxe have been replaced by more interesting enemies.

Some dialogue has changed.

Various small bugs have been fixed.

Added an objective timer.

Increased the amount of time players have to save Chibb.

Repulsor LabThe repulsor lab was particularly frustrating for new groups, as it lacked any clear direction and was incredibly punishing. It is now a stealth-based encounter, and the mechanics are clear.

Reworked repulsor turret projectiles.

Reduced the hit box and switched to an effect to match the size.

Replaced blowout with a 0.5-second stun.

Switched to scaling, health-percentage-based damage.

Projectiles will now only hit players.

Reworked patrol golems.

Fixed numerous pathing issues.

Switched the aggro mechanic over to a small visibility circle indicated by an effect. Golems will fixate for 15 seconds on any player who enters.

Golems have been upgraded to champion rank.

Golems will walk at tiers 1 and 2.

Golems now die when the event succeeds.

Deleted the stationary golem at the first console.

Improved consoles and barriers.

Consoles may no longer be interacted with through walls.

Consoles are now numbered on the minimap.

Shields are now disabled at the end of the event.

Safety Shield now has a longer cooldown but cannot overheat.

Safety Shield’s Repulsor Bolt skill is now instant, and it will instantly break a golem’s defiance bar.

Safety Shields now no longer use the staff idle animation.

Getting downed in the repulsor lab will teleport you to the safety-shield room.

Succeeding at the event will cleanse immobilize on everyone in the room.

Consoles can no longer be interacted with after the event succeeds.

Cooling ChamberThe cooling chamber was a bit too easy to solo, and it had little emphasis on the cooling rods. Now it is more rewarding of teamwork, while one may still solo it on some professions.

Cooling rods now have a Heat Shield skill that will block heat damage in a radius.

Heat damage in the room has increased.

Cooling rods further reduce heat damage in the room when placed in the Cooling Rod Receptacle. They also create a permanent shield at the receptacle.

Switched to scaling, health-percentage-based damage.

A golem will retrieve any cooling rods dropped in the room.

Cooling Rod Receptacles have gained a map marker.

A moving flame wall that can be dodged has been added to the room.

Thaumanova AnomalyThe Anomaly boss has numerous attacks that have either no tell or are very difficult to see and react to in the effect soup. The fight can take longer than it should due to high boss health and the fact that players constantly have to spread out. The fight has been reworked to be more interesting and fair. It is challenging but not overly difficult.

Fixed an issue that allowed the Anomaly to be res rushed.

The Anomaly’s health has been slightly reduced*.*

The Anomaly has gained a strong defiance bar that can be broken for a long-duration stun.

Players now have a special action shield, the Hex Shield, which can protect a platform from disappearing for 3 seconds on a 32-second cooldown. It stacks duration if multiple players use it on the same platform.

The Anomaly’s base projectile attack, Binding Bolt, has been replaced by a projectile fan attack that is easier to see and react to. Projectile hit boxes have been improved.

The Anomaly’s hit box has been increased, and it has been centered better.

The Anomaly’s shield knockback has been greatly reduced.

At higher tiers, the platform will permanently shrink at health percentages.

The Anomaly will no longer reflect projectiles.

Star Smash has had its effect improved.

Flux Bomb has been renamed to Flux Pulse. Its radius has been reduced from 500 to 300. The Telegraph effect has been added. Damage has been slightly increased.

Cosmic Instability no longer targets pets and minions, and it will now deal heavy damage to allied players standing within 120 units.

Players will no longer sometimes fall all the way to the bottom floor instead of being teleported back up.

The platforms will no longer be targetable by certain player skills.

Aetherblade

Reworked rotating energy wall traps before the cannon room.

Now applies scaling damage based on health percentages instead of standard attacks.

Added internal-damage cooldown of 1 second.

Fixed a combat-log text issue.

Can no longer hurt pets and minions.

Applies Electric Shield to the golems for 1 second instead of 3 seconds.

Reduced the applied agony duration for final energy walls from 6 seconds to 3 seconds.

Increased the internal cooldown of energy wall damage and agony application from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.

Golem might stacks can now be corrupted and stripped.

Knockback is now applied at the correct time when Frizz is defeated.

Chaos Isles

The Brazen Gladiator no longer clears all conditions when gaining Protective Shielding. Instead, Protective Shielding also behaves like resistance.

Molten Furnace

Molten protectors can now be inflicted with fear and taunted while not shielded.

Fixed a bug in which a party wipe before the final event could teleport you to the final chamber and stall the instance.

Nightmare

Fixed an issue in which Ensolyss could use Rampage before his final phase on challenge mode.

The crush attack Ensolyss uses when he spawns is now unblockable, making Another Goo Puddle easier for guardians to obtain.

Fixed an issue in which Ensolyss’s defiance bar could be broken right before casting Nightmare Devastation, causing him to cast it when Arkk’s shield is gone.

Ensolyss’s attacks will no longer knock back or pull pets and minions.

Fixed an issue in which Siax’s Toxic Blast attack would show the first AoE telegraph for too long.

Fixed a bug in which the 30-Second Seizure achievement could be completed in longer than 30 seconds.

Snowblind

Moved the first Mistlock Singularity to a more convenient location.

The ice elemental boss will now reset if there are no living players nearby.

Reduced the chill duration for orbiting projectiles from 5 seconds to 3 seconds.

Improved the spawning animation for the ice elemental and made it visible from farther away.

Swampland

Fixed an issue in which being downed while holding a wisp during the final Bloomhunger phase would not allow the wisp to respawn.

Uncategorized

Added a checkpoint at the end of the final jumping puzzle.

Fixed a bug in which the battery meters would not properly reset after a party wipe.

Underground Facility

The Rampaging Ice Elemental will now only target players with Ice Spike.

Fixed a bug that could cause boss fixate to become permanently broken.

Volcanic

The first cutscene can now be skipped.

Mist Potions

Single-use mist potions have had their prices rebalanced by reducing relic cost and increasing gold cost.

Duration has increased from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Single-use mist potions can now be refreshed.

Text has been added indicating that unwanted potions can be turned in to Dessa’s Alchemist in exchange for fractal relics.

Daily Recommended Fractal Rewards

The Fractal Initiate’s Research Chest has had its resonating slivers replaced by a Large Mist Defensive Potion.

The Fractal Adept’s Research Chest has had its resonating slivers replaced by a Large Mist Mobility Potion.

The Fractal Expert’s Research Chest has had its resonating slivers replaced by a Large Mist Offensive Potion.

Daily Achievement Rotation

The Fractal Daily achievements have been switched from a 14-day rotation to a 15-day rotation so that the same dailies do not occur every two weeks.

Ascended Trinket Salvage

Ascended trinkets will now yield Stabilizing Matrices instead of +1 infusions when salvaged.

Nightmare Rewards

The Watchknight Tonic has been added to the Nightmare Rewards tab on BLING-9009 for a discount. It has been improved to function like the Kodan Tonic.

The Antitoxin Injector Skin, Mini Toxic Nimross, and Mini Watchknight have been added to the Nightmare Rewards tab on BLING-9009 for a discount.

Pristine Toxic Spore Samples are now awarded for completing the Nightmare Fractal Challenge Mode with a rare chance for a jackpot.

Instability Balance ChangesToxic Trails

Added low-duration poison to toxic trails. Poison will make damage from toxic trails more visible while slightly increasing the pressure from them.

Social Awkwardness

Reduced the damage region radius from 60 to 44 to better match the effect.

Reduced the applied agony duration of Social Awkwardness from 3 seconds to 2 seconds.

Instead of damaging your allies, you will damage yourself for a maximum of three hits per second if you are standing near three or more allies.

This will allow healers to stack up for heals without killing themselves, and it will punish a player for attacking near allies rather than punishing their allies.

Afflicted

Reduced the number of confusion stacks applied from 5 to 2.

Last Laugh

Increased the time before the attack hits from 1 second to 1.75 seconds.

Flux Bomb

Flux Bomb will not apply damage or conditions to the targeted player on the first tick.

Flux Bomb will not target the same player within 30 seconds.

Miscellaneous

Fixed a bug in which Fractal Avengers would not properly despawn.

RaidsBastion of the PenitentThe bloodstone explosion unearthed a portal to a place where few have been and none have escaped. Deconstruct the mysteries and learn the true story of one of history’s most misunderstood figures. Assemble your squad and begin your journey at ground zero or at the Lion’s Arch Aerodrome.Thanks!Some members of the following guilds had access to the raid at some stage in development. We’d like to thank them for their time and feedback.

[Att] Attuned

[LNR] Late Night Raiding

General

Glenna will now exchange magnetite shards for miniatures from any raid wing. This is now located in a new Exchanges tab on her vendor window.

Skill-fact tooltips have been enabled for all boss skills in Bastion of the Penitent.

Lion’s Arch AerodromeNew vendor tabs have been added to the Basic Magnetite Exchange Operative in the Aerodrome.

Exchanges: Miniatures and special items can be exchanged here for magnetite shards.

Merchant: Sells basic goods (salvage, etc.).

Spirit ValeSabethaThe Sapper Bomb skill now ignores snap-to-target settings.Stronghold of the FaithfulWhite Mantle portal devices can now be exchanged for magnetite shards at a rate of 250 shards per device. This exchange can be completed by speaking with Glenna or the Basic Magnetite Exchange Operative in the Aerodrome.General

Fixed an issue that would sometimes prevent a player from being revived during encounters in Stronghold of the Faithful.

XeraThe Intervention skill now ignores snap-to-target settings.ItemsThe legendary precursors Friendship and Endeavor have had their recipes updated to use the new Visionary Inscription. The recipe for the Visionary Inscription can be unlocked by using Recipe: Legendary Inscription, available from Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs, free of charge.Profession SkillsGeneral:

Players who reconnect to a match and achieve victory will no longer receive a desertion game result.

Fixed a bug that caused the minimap on Revenge of the Capricorn to have no fixed position and zoom level.

Matches where a player fails to accept will rebalance teams after finding a substitute.

Fixed a bug that caused the Noblesse Oblige mastery to affect PvP and WvW.

Fixed inconsistent naming convention for the Diviner Amulet and the Seeker Amulet.

Fix a bug where new accounts had both Conquest and Stronghold game-mode preferences checked instead of the All preference.

Battle of Kyhlo

The Clock Tower has had its roof removed to improve visibility and camera behavior.

The side-entrance jump puzzles to the Clock Tower have been normalized on each side and made much easier.

Buildings and boxes are no longer destroyable by players. A few structures will now be automatically destroyed as the match progresses.

The spawn locations of siege repair have been moved closer to the trebuchets.

An additional exit from each side’s bases have been added to reduce the possibility of spawn camping.

Revenge of the Capricorn

The locations of the archway and bell capture points have been moved to reduce run times and slightly condense the map.

Leagues

League rating deviation will not increase over time. This prevents players who take breaks from having ratings that are too volatile when they return.

Lowered the default/starting rating deviation. League placement matches will result in less volatile ratings.

There is now a minimum game requirement for the league leaderboard that is separate from placement games. This minimum threshold increases over the duration of the season.

PvP Map AchievementsMeta-achievements have* *been added to all Ranked and Unranked PvP maps. Completion of the meta-achievement will award players gold and a title.Generic Achievements:

Wins

Kills

Conquest Achievements:

Kills while defending

Capture-point neutralization

Stronghold Achievements:

Summoning door breakers or archers

Killing door breakers or archers

Champion summons

Each map features one unique achievement themed around the secondary mechanic.Capricorn achievements have returned, and the time gate for the Coliseum achievements has been removed. World vs. WorldGeneral

On Friday’s reset (February 10), skirmish points will change to 5 for first place, 4 for second place, and 3 for third place.

WvW portals have been changed so that they now require an interact. This is to fix the bug in which players were sometimes teleported to different maps when using a waypoint.

The Plush Griffon Tonic has been reenabled in WvW.

The Reindeer Tonic has been reenabled in WvW, but the third skill has been removed and replaced with the fourth skill.

The Potion of Ascalonian Mages now functions like a transformation and not like an enhancement. It has been reenabled in WvW.

The Permanent Portable Provisioner can now be used while moving.

The Noblesse Oblige mastery has been disabled in competitive game modes.

The Gift From Scarlet has been disabled in WvW.

Desert Borderlands

Shrine bonuses have been rearranged and changed in the Desert borderlands. The last shrine bonus for each shrine is now a themed jump pad that will allow players to travel from one shrine to the next. These jump pads will make it easier for players to traverse the area.

Shrine of Earth:

Activates lodestones that grant protection and stability to allies. This is used to cripple enemies.

A sandstorm that reveals all enemies.

Asura launch pads that launch players to all the shrines and inside the keep itself.

Shrine of Fire:

Inferno Hound

Increased the movement speed of the hound.

Added swiftness to skill 3.

The Flame’s Embrace effect allows players to walk on lava. It functions the same as it used to but is now the second bonus instead of the third.

Fire tornadoes that launch players to all of the shrines.

Shrine of Air:

Air jump pads that allow players to jump to high ledges at various places in the keep. No changes were made to this bonus.

The Windfall effect allows players to not take fall damage while near the keep. This functions the same as it used to but is now the second bonus instead of the third.

Eagle clouds that transform players into eagles so they can glide to each shrine.

Desert borderlands now has ruins that work the same as they do on the Alpine maps and grant bloodlust.

The center of the map has been changed so that it is easier to traverse.

Removed rock walls inside the north/earth keep.

Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the incorrect team to earn the Windfall effect for a few seconds.

General

Many items crafted as part of the legendary journey can only be crafted once per account. Misplaced items can be reobtained from Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs if they are required for other parts of the collection.

All tonics can no longer be consumed while in combat. You will still remain transformed if you consume a tonic before entering combat. This change was made so players can no longer transform to trigger weapon-swap effects while in combat.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORENew Items and Promotions

For a limited time, a new set of Devoted weapon skins is available from Black Lion Weapons Specialists for 1 Black Lion Claim Ticket. Black Lion Chest Keys are available in the Special category of the Gem Store for 125 gems each.

The White Mantle Appearance Pack has returned for a limited time and is located in the Style category of the Gem Store for 2,000 gems. This pack contains 1 White Mantle Outfit, 1 White Mantle Glider, 1 Immortal Weapon Choice, 1 Total Makeover Kit, and 5 Black Lion Chest Keys.

The Shining Blade Backpack Glider Combo has returned for a limited time and is located in the Style category of the Gem Store for 700 gems.

The Mask of the Queen and the Mask of the Jubilee have returned for a limited time and are located in the Style category of the Gem Store for 400 gems each.

The Ringmaster’s Hat has returned for a limited time and is located in the Style category of the Gem Store for 200 gems.

The Mini Bloodstone Rock has returned and is located in the Toys category of the Gem Store for 350 gems.

Improvements

Twelve exclusive hair colors can now be used to dye hair accessories using Total Makeover Kits and/or Self-Style Hair Kits, found in the Services category of the Gem Store.

For a limited time, avian miniatures are available for 1–3 Black Lion Miniature Claim Tickets and are available from the Black Lion Claim Ticket vendor.

If you've not heard by now, Living World Season 3 Episode 4 - You are not allowed to view links.
Register or Login will be hitting GW2 on Tuesday 7th February 2017.

Just to give our members (and visitors) a heads up, the following will also happen on that day:

End of current PvP League Season

End of Lunar New Year 2017

The long-awaited Auric Basin Multi-Loot fix

New raid wing! (Bastion of the Penitent)

*rumoured* New leather farm

Mike O'Brien's statement detailing more about these upcoming changes can be found You are not allowed to view links.
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As usual for patch day, some of us will be doing new content immediately with missions an hour after reset as normal. Please don't ruin things for others by leaking spoilers in TS or guild chat. While we understand you're all excited about the new patch (we are too!), please refrain from talking about the story until 2 weeks after the patch has dropped to give people a chance to experience it for themselves as not everyone can play on day or weekend of release due to that Real Life thing that's pretty popular these days. Personally I find the graphics to be great but the gameplay's awful, especially with the most recent patch...

The You are not allowed to view links.
Register or Login has been updated to reflect this as up to now we've been dealing with spoilers on a release by release basis while we've waited to see if ANet was going to stick to their LS release schedule or not. Now it seems they will, it's only fair that we put it down in black and white.

In guild news, we've recently had a rather large roster clean up after hitting the 500 member cap. If you feel you were kicked in error, please let us know we can resend an invite. The only people who were kicked were those who were inactive for more than 2 months, no kicks were personal and all are welcome to rejoin if and when they are able to be active on a more regular basis. If you gave us notice that you would be gone for longer and we forgot to log it, we apologise and already have a system in place to better keep track of absences which we actioned as of the officer meeting last night when we decided upon the roster clean up. If you're not able to actively play in game for the forseeable future, please rest assured that we will always be able to find a spot for you in the guild if you have been with RIOT for a long time. We have always and will always value member loyalty, but sadly we only have so many slots in the guild that can be taken up at one time. With a guild as old and rich a history as RIOT, it's natural that over 11 years you're going to have more than 500 total members necessitating a bit of roster Tetris from time to time to keep the guild active.

On a similar topic, we have had a few members of guild management have an increase in real life responsibilities and are watching with interest anyone who runs (or would like to run) content on a regular basis. RIOT values its members, but particularly those who give back to the guild in any way they can. While you might feel that you're not "pro" enough to lead a raid squad, there are plenty of events that are possible for even relatively new players to run. If you would like some suggestions for events that could be run simply talk to an officer, otherwise feel free to host events and post them in guild chat. As we have people on all times of the day and night, you might be surprised how many people are interested, not to mention you get to know your fellow guildies better! With the new LS3 chapter just around the corner and HoT on sale until the day after the patch, now's the perfect time to show your mentoring skills and be the future of RIOT as well as part of the present.